


Knots

by kooili



Category: Holby City
Genre: Episode Related, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-26 00:34:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16208969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kooili/pseuds/kooili
Summary: Serena tries to make sense of her reaction to Leah's attempted pass.





	Knots

**Author's Note:**

> A post-ep meander for the most recent episode.

“Yes, the taxi rank by the main road will be just fine. I’ll be there in two minutes,” Serena said before ending the call. A brisk breeze greeted her as she walked away from the pub. It was a cold night but she hardly noticed the chill. Her cheeks were flushed with the heat of Shiraz and, if she was honest, her heart was still pounding from the completely unexpected emotions flooding her brain.

Surprise. Disbelief. Shock.

Her mouth twisted wryly as she contemplated the choice of nouns flooding her head. The truth was, she was caught completely off guard. It had been a while since she’d had the responsibility of a new F1 in AAU and the experience was exhilarating. Leah was confident almost to the point of brashness, but had proven that she could back that up with her intelligence. In many ways, she reminded Serena of herself as a junior when she had tried so hard to impress the consultant supervising her. The only difference was that she hadn’t attempted to proposition her boss on her first day at work.

Serena shifted uncomfortably at the memory of the momentary awkwardness before she’d extricated herself with an excuse she needed to freshen up. The young woman was perched on a stool by the bar by the time she returned for her coat and bag. Leah’s gaze had practically burnt into her back as she threaded her arms through the sleeves of her coat, fumbling a little in her rush to pull it on and leave.

Her mind was still trying to dissect what had happened when a pair of headlights appeared, distracting her, slowing down before pulling in towards the pavement. Serena craned her neck in anticipation and sighed in relief when the vehicle pulled up to a stop next to her.

“Serena?” The driver asked as she opened the door and climbed into the back of the taxi.

She nodded her reply and acknowledged the address he rattled off before sinking back into the seat. Her hand reached into a coat pocket for her phone and found it along with a folded paper napkin. Serena unfolded it with a frown, not having any memory of putting it there in the first place. There was writing scribbled on it, an address, just a few streets away,  signed off with a single sentence scrawled in black ink.

_In case you change your mind, L._

The moment of panic from earlier welled up again and she began crumpling the note into a ball, when she paused and took a steadying breath. This feeling was not only unfamiliar but somewhat ludicrous considering the circumstances. Serena Campbell was not a wilting rose and she had given as good as she got in the flirtation department, so why was this so different? More to the point, why was she this flustered instead of dismissing the idea straightaway and was this what temptation felt like, an uncomfortable voice whispered in her head.

She stared at the napkin again, and ran her fingers over the writing - in case she changed her mind - before folding it over and stared out the window towards the passing traffic as the taxi ground to halt at a set of lights. There was very little chance that she’d get any sleep tonight, not with these thoughts swirling about in her mind. Serena placed the note back into her pocket and leaned forward, tapping the driver on his shoulder.

“I’ve changed my mind. Can you drop me off somewhere else instead?” She said apologetically. The driver smiled and nodded, listening carefully to her instructions as he entered the new address into his sat nav.

The journey was a short and Serena soon found herself in front of a low block of flats, her eyes picking out the correct number whilst she hugged her coat a little tighter. She stepped up to right door, her hand in a fist, pausing apprehensively for a moment before rapping sharply on the wood. Her knock was replied by silence and Serena shivered, rubbing her hands together to gain some warmth. She was about to try again when a light flickered on before a shadow appeared through the frosted glass, fumbling with the lock.

Serena took a step back when the door finally opened, revealing a familiar petite figure in a dark green dressing gown. They stared at each other for a moment before the other woman spoke.

“Serena?”

“I know it’s late but do you mind if I come in?” Serena answered a little awkwardly.

The door swung open a little wider, an arm sweeping inwards welcoming her. Serena stepped inside, heart pounding, but grateful to get out of the cold.

* * *

“So, the mighty Serena Campbell floored by a feisty F1. This must be a record.”

Serena took a sip of her tea before placing the mug back onto the table and attempting a glare, which she gave up when it became obvious the closest look she could manage was one of doleful resignation. “I’m glad that at least one of us is seeing the humour in the situation.”

Fleur sighed and regarded friend. She did look genuinely distressed, somewhat disproportionately so in her opinion.

“So she made a pass at you and you knocked her back. I don’t see what the problem is.” There was a pregnant pause before Serena nodded and Fleur’s eyes narrowed immediately. “You _did_ knock her back, right?”

“Sort of.”

“What do you mean sort of?” Fleur’s tone was clear that she would accept nothing but complete and honest disclosure.

Serena sighed and pulled the now crumpled paper napkin out of her pocket, handing it over. She watched as Fleur read the message, the initial confusion turning quickly into surprise.

“Bolshy,” she remarked, dropping the scrap of paper aside. “Something I might have done myself. Is she hot?”

The question, flippant as it was, caught Serena off guard and she shifted uncomfortably, her gaze dropping downwards towards the mug of tea.

Fleur tilted head as she replied, “I’m assuming the answer is yes, then. But I wouldn’t have expected anything less to have caught your eye.”

Serena’s head snapped up immediately. “She didn’t and before you say anything, I am her mentor, nothing else.”

“If that’s the case, why are you sitting in my kitchen at half eleven having a gay panic?” The smile on Fleur’s face widened into a smug grin as the colour rose on Serena’s cheeks.

Serena drew a deep breath before answering. “This is all new for me. Not the flirting but the fact that she did it even though she knew about Bernie.”

“Oh?”

“I think that flowers sent from six and a half thousand miles away would be enough to say unavailable.”

Fleur chuckled. “I’m fairly certain she knows. Which is why she’s trying extra hard.” She paused at the confused look on her friend’s face before continuing. “Being unavailable can be a big turn on for some people.” Her tone softened, turning serious before she continued. “You’ve dealt with far more inappropriate attention than this so why don’t you tell me what’s really bothering you?”

“This unexpected interest,” Serena answered before stuttering as she searched for her next words, “I guess I hadn’t realised how hard a long distance relationship can be.”

“It’s hardly an excuse to run off with a first baby dyke who bats her eyelashes at you. And I know you’re made of sterner stuff than this,” Fleur added cheekily before continuing. “You somehow managed to resist my charms after all.”

“It wasn’t easy.” Serena returned the smile with one of her own. “Before you let your imagination run away, I’m not about to run off with anyone. I’ve already got the best woman in the world waiting for me.”

Fleur rolled her eyes fondly. “Sounds like a match made in heaven. And as much as I enjoy a visit from you in the middle of the night, I’m certain there’s still something you’re not telling me.”

“I don’t know how to explain without sounding completely silly.” Serena’s fingers twiddled absentmindedly with the handle of the mug as she avoided Fleur’s eyes.

“Serena.” Fleur waited until the other woman met her gaze before continuing. “Try. I promise not to laugh.” She emphasized her point by crossing her heart.

Fleur’s face looked so solemn and earnest that Serena couldn’t help a wry smile from colouring her expression.

“There’s a part of me that feels guilty for reacting to Leah’s attention. It should be inconsequential, whatever her intentions are, but instead...” She paused, swallowing hard, “...instead it made me think about how Bernie and I would deal with this if we didn’t have the safety net of being six and a half thousand miles apart to fall back on.”

Fleur stared at her friend, her brows furrowing as she attempted to work out Serena’s logic. “I don’t understand.”

Serena sighed deeply. “Well, look at me. Tied up in knots by a girl young enough to be my daught-” She paused, tripping over the word slightly before squaring her shoulders and pressing on. “By a girl young enough to be my daughter making a pass at me. Maybe Bernie and I aren’t as strong as I thought.”

Fleur frowned. “You don’t believe that.”

Serena shrugged. “We’ve done long distance for so long and never had a chance at a normal relationship after we got together. What if we can’t make it work when we’re finally on the same continent?”

Fleur took a deep breath and stared incredulously at Serena. The promise she’d given Bernie to look after Serena resounded in her head and she chose her words carefully. “It may not be easy but I’m sure you’ll manage. You’re both madly, deeply in love with each other and that is the strongest foundation any relationship can be built on. Don’t start catastrophizing just because some harmless attention got your heart fluttering a little. I’ll not hesitate to tell on you to the werewolf, if needs must.”

Serena laughed and shook her head before leaning forward and patting Fleur’s hand. She pushed herself up from the chair and started gathering her bag and coat. “It’s really late. I’d better get going. Thank you for the tea. And the advice.”

“Anytime,” Fleur answered then stood, clearing the mugs into the sink as she did. “So, when are you going to talk to her about this?”

“Talk to who?” Serena asked, threading an arm through the sleeve of her coat.

“Bernie.”

Serena shook her head. “I don’t want to upset her with something as silly as a moment of panic.”

Fleur touched Serena’s shoulder, stilling her. “I think you should and she deserves the chance to be supportive. Wouldn’t you want to be if the situation was reversed?”

It wasn’t until she was home and getting ready for bed when Fleur’s words nudged at her thoughts again. Her friend was right, she admitted begrudgingly. Not talking about it was akin to letting a wound fester, knowing that it would eat into their relationship eventually. She picked up her phone and checked the time. It was half two in Nairobi and Bernie would be fast asleep. Serena didn’t want to wake her but she knew that she had to commit to a conversation before her courage wavered. She tapped the messaging screen and began composing a text.

_Thank you for my flowers, darling. Call tomorrow when you have a moment? There’s something I want to tell you._

The message was marked delivered in a matter of seconds and Serena set her phone aside before climbing into bed. She was about to drift off to sleep when it rang, stirring her wide awake. It turned out that Bernie was on night shift and saw her message almost immediately.

“How was your birthday?” Bernie’s voice, warm and smiling drifted across the connection.

“It was nice. Would have been better if you were here,” Serena answered.

“We’ll be in the same time zone next year, I promise.” Her words teased gently but Serena picked up the hint of regret in Bernie’s tone.

“I’ll hold you to that.” Serena tried to inject some brightness into her voice to lighten the mood, failing miserably. The emotions of the day aside, she hadn’t realised how much she had missed Bernie until she heard her voice. A long pause stretched between them before Bernie finally spoke.

“You said you had some news. What did you want to talk to me about?”

Serena stayed silent and Bernie could hear her drawing a deep breath, searching for the right words.

“Serena, what’s wrong?” Bernie’s voice was now tinged with an edge of worry.

“Nothing, darling. I just wanted to tell you about someone I met at work today. Her name’s Leah.”


End file.
